--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's an interesting paradox to think…" description: "\"That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the people who come in do not qualif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg" --- # That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it… ![“That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the people who come in do not qualify for welfare, they don't qualify for social security, they don't qualify for the other myriad of benefits that we pour out from our left pocket to…” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg) > “That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the people who come in do not qualify for welfare, they don't qualify for social security, they don't qualify for the other myriad of benefits that we pour out from our left pocket to our right pocket. So long as they don't qualify they migrate to jobs. They take jobs that most residents of this country are unwilling to take. They provide employers with the kind of workers that they cannot get. They're hard workers, they're good workers, and they are clearly better off.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Illegal status denies benefits, making migrants attractive labor for undesirable jobs. **In simple terms:** Illegal migrants fill jobs locals avoid. Key Takeaway Recognize labor market dynamics of immigration. Themes economics immigration labor market policy benefits Mood analytical critical Type economic policy When to use this quote - employment analysis - policy reform - social services - business hiring practices Key Concepts Labor economics public policy welfare state Questions to Reflect On - What are the trade‑offs of legalizing migrant labor? - How can societies balance fairness and economic need? A Different Perspective Legal pathways may reduce exploitation but complicate labor supply. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Better off](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-off/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Employers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employers/) [Good work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-work/) [Good Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-workers/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Hard worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-worker/) [Hard Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-workers/) [Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal/) [Illegal People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-people-598313/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Make Legal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-legal-4093954/) [Migrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/migrate/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pockets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pockets/) [Qualify Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualify-welfare-4093953/) [Residents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/residents/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-security/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unwilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwilling/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [Think about this: It was illegal for most people to connect to the internet before 1992.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/think-about-this-it-was-illegal-for-most-people-to-connect-to-the/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [I have to say obviously it is not illegal for people to go to dinner and to socialise and take hospitality off members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-a-watson/i-have-to-say-obviously-it-is-not-illegal-for-people-to-go-to-dinner/) [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) > [ I have Hispanic friends who are all for \[Donald\]Trump because they feel they're getting a bad rap on the illegal people who are here.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-lowden/i-have-hispanic-friends-who-are-all-for-donald-trump-because-they/) [Sue Lowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-lowden/) > [I think it should be illegal for people to throw away music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-feinstein/i-think-it-should-be-illegal-for-people-to-throw-away-music/) [Michael Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-feinstein/) > [I was able to see what our border looks like and the fact it is under assault on a daily basis from people trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-whitaker/i-was-able-to-see-what-our-border-looks-like-and-the-fact-it-is-under/) [Matthew Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-whitaker/) > [A lot of our family was undocumented. 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I've found them to be real smart and good workers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-lynn/i-never-knew-any-jews-until-i-got-into-show-business-i-ve-found-them/) [Loretta Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-lynn/) > [No one seriously believes that cutting the minimum wage is good for workers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kander/no-one-seriously-believes-that-cutting-the-minimum-wage-is-good-for/) [Jason Kander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kander/) > [“Just like in the workplace, women who are good workers are the best workers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/just-like-in-the-workplace-women-who-are-good-workers-are-the-best/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [When you have such a love and passion for wrestling and you love to work, you want to get in with good workers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-bella/when-you-have-such-a-love-and-passion-for-wrestling-and-you-love-to/) [Nikki Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-bella/) > [If we want to have good workers and good citizens, we need to create common spaces in which individuals can talk about the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/if-we-want-to-have-good-workers-and-good-citizens-we-need-to-create/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [The employers cannot carry on industry nor accumulate profits if they have not got the good will of the workers or their acquiescence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-larkin/the-employers-cannot-carry-on-industry-nor-accumulate-profits-if-they/) [James Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-larkin/) > [Companies are recognizing that paid leave reduces training and turnover costs, that it's a formula for recruiting and retaining good workers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/companies-are-recognizing-that-paid-leave-reduces-training-and/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? 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If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Explore all 444 Milton Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More Benefits quotes > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. 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Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the people who come in do not qualify for welfare, they don't qualify for social security, they don't qualify for the other myriad of benefits that we pour out from our left pocket to our right pocket. So long as they don't qualify they migrate to jobs. They take jobs that most residents of this country are unwilling to take. They provide employers with the kind of workers that they cannot get. 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